1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device, a method and a program for determining the density of a barcode which is synthesized with an input image so as to form a pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as MFPs (multifunction peripheral) have been widely used, a problem has arisen that confidential information leaks through printed documents. As a technology for preventing or reducing the leakage of confidential information, for example, the following method is proposed. In a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-346032, a large number of barcodes are repeatedly synthesized over the entire surface of a document that is constituted by document information containing confidential information, and thus a printed document containing specific information as a pattern of a latent image is produced. This barcode contains inhibition information indicating the inhibition of the above printed document from being copied and tracking information for tracking a person (user who has instructed to print the document) who printed the document. This tracking information contains, for example, the ID of the user and the print time and date. With this inhibition information, the leakage of confidential information through copying is prevented; with the tracking information, the leakage of confidential information is reduced.
However, since the above-described barcode is added to the document information to be printed and is synthesized as a pattern over the entire document as described above, the printing of the barcode involves the consumption of a large amount of toner (toner is one example of consumable items and it goes without saying that ink or the like may be used instead). Accordingly, the present invention provides a device that accurately reads information contained in a barcode and that reduces the amount of toner and the like consumed.